Tauranga Intermediate teachers, and couple, Dan Anson and Justine Stovold are enjoying their first year working in education in the city after finishing their qualifications there.

They have bought their first house together, are getting married in October and are about to graduate with their Bachelor of Teaching from the University of Waikato, Tauranga campus.

Dan Anson and Justine Stovold are finding their first full working year in Tauranga a busy one.

'Every day is different and I love that,” says Justine.

'Where else can you go and play dodgeball with the kids when you're working? It's awesome.”

Dan and Justine met in their first year of the teaching course at the University of Waikato in Hamilton.

Because they wanted to work in Tauranga eventually, they decided to go there to complete their third year at the university's Tauranga campus.

'We loved studying back in Tauranga, the lifestyle is great, but so were the classes,” says Dan.

'Our lecturers were also our tutors so they were really approachable and everyone got on well with everyone else – it was a fantastic year.”

Justine is teaching a multimedia Year 7 class and Dan is teaching Year 8 as well as coaching a school cricket team.

Despite being at the same school, daily responsibilities and being in different syndicates means they hardly see each other until the end of the day.

'We carpool together, but once at school we're doing very separate things,” says Dan.

Both Justine and Dan spent time overseas before starting university.

Justine, who also played top level competitive volleyball while at Otumoetai College, spent 2007 at Camp America and says she has always wanted to be a teacher.

Dan, who went to Tauranga Boys' College, spent three years in England and worked as a student teacher for part of this time.

Until then he hadn't considered teaching, but enjoyed it so much, he enrolled at university as soon as he returned home.

Dan and Justine graduate on April 29 in Tauranga.